Gabriel Jesus’s return hands Mikel Arteta selection dilemma after front line rebuild | OneFootball

A striker Mikel Arteta had long coveted moved in the summer and scored in North London on Saturday in stylish fashion. Not for Arsenal, admittedly, and not on a day when Arsenal needed to rue the one who got away as his price got too big: Alexander Isak was injured a fraction of a second after unleashing the shot that nestled in the Tottenham net. The £125m man has just two league goals and faces another spell on the sidelines.

About 90 minutes later, Arteta’s summer striking signing struck. Viktor Gyokeres, at £54m, came at less than half Isak’s fee and yet still looks overpriced. He has six Premier League goals, three times as many as Isak, but two were spot kicks and each may prove to be against a bottom-half finisher. Against Everton, he powered in his penalty but otherwise laboured and lumbered; there was no lack of effort but a distinct lack of class. The transfer-window online obsession with the Swede feels ever more misplaced.

But Arsenal may win the title: not in spite of him, nor because of him, but with him at times. And the task for Arteta, after heeding the fanbase’s demands to sign a striker, is to select the right ones. In 2026, he has a choice of four: the strikers he signed in 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. Though, admittedly, at least one and arguably two did not arrive as a centre-forward. And there are times when they can seem the most compelling choices.

The fourth man, at times, the forgotten man, and, potentially, but for a cruciate ligament problem, the sold man is Gabriel Jesus. An Arsenal career that has been punctuated by injury and goal droughts will bring its 100th game on Tuesday.

The Brazilian is three cameos into a comeback. Perhaps it was symbolic that while he contributed to the winner against Wolves, it wasn’t his goal. Jesus only has seven in his last 42 appearances for Arsenal. Yet his half-hour against Everton highlighted his qualities, particularly, perhaps in comparison with Gyokeres. Jesus looked more on the same wavelength as his teammates, more capable of contributing to moves.

“That’s probably the biggest quality of Gabi, bringing people together, connecting with people and generating a lot of uncertainty in the opponent,” said Arteta. “When you see him [at Everton], the amount of spaces that he was involved in, that's his biggest quality. So we need to exploit that.”

It was a reminder of the Jesus who Arsenal signed in 2022, the player who looked a catalyst immediately. He brought an uplift; but his best goal return in a campaign for the Gunners is 11 and Gyokeres’ return of 97 in two years at Sporting CP promised a more prolific touch, even if it now looks attributable to the shortcomings of the Portuguese league.

“It’s been a really intense journey,” Arteta added. “I think when he joined us, I think he lifted the belief, the spirit and the energy of the club and the team. I think he gave something very different to what we already had, and it was really impressive.”

open image in gallery

Gabriel Jesus has been in fine form on his return from a near year-long layoff (AP)

Now Jesus is ready to start, his manager thinks. A Carabao Cup quarter-final against Crystal Palace could be an opportune occasion: five of his last six goals came against Oliver Glasner’s team, including a League Cup hat-trick.

A successful return could give Arteta a dilemma. So could another. Kai Havertz has only played half an hour this season.

It may be impossible to prove but the theory persists that, but for injury, he would started many of the tougher tests earlier in the season: Liverpool, Manchester City, Newcastle away. Gyokeres had little impact on such stages.

In Havertz’s extended absence, Mikel Merino offered a reminder of his credentials as a stand-in striker. In particular, as an excellent goalscorer, his aerial ability, finishing prowess and capacity to sniff out an opening making him more than a makeshift choice. Some might deem him preferable to Gyokeres but Arsenal have an imperative to try and make the Swede succeed.

open image in gallery

Gyokeres’ penalty against Everton was his first goal in six games (PA Wire)

Yet there are bigger objectives, with a title at stake. The Arteta model has been to amass the most complete squad; to cover for all eventualities. It means there are automatic choices in some positions, but not all. He has never been able to select from his four striking choices. He will soon.

If Jesus had seemed a distant fourth in others’ thinking, he has been both Brazil and Manchester City’s No 9. Merino may be the best finisher of the four, Havertz the most complete player. Then there is Gyokeres, whose summer arrival indicated he would be the regular, but could be found someway down the queue. The chances are that Arteta may prefer Havertz for the biggest of matches. The challenge for him, though, will be to pick the right one on each occasion.